小学英语-英语故事(童话故事)The-Happy-Family-幸福的家庭

TheHappyFamily幸福的家庭Thebiggestleafwehaveinthiscountryiscertainlytheburdockleaf.Ifyouholdoneinfrontofyourlittlestomach,it'sjustlikearealapron;andinrainyweather,ifyoulayitonyourhead,itdoesalmostaswellasanumbrella.It'sreallyamazinglylarge.Now,aburdocknevergrowsalone;no,whenyouseeoneyou'llalwaysseeothersaroundit.It'sasplendidsight;andallthissplendorisnothingmorethanfoodforsnails-thebigwhitesnailswhichthefinepeopleinoldendaysusedtohavemadeintofricassees.Whentheyhadeatenthem,theywouldsmacktheirlipsandsay,My!Howgoodthatis!Forsomehowtheyhadtheideathatthesnailstasteddelicious.Yousee,thesesnailslivedontheburdockleaves,andthat'swhytheburdockwasfirstgrown.Therewasacertainoldmanorhousewherethepeopledidn'teatsnailsanymore.Thesnailshadalmostdiedout,buttheburdockhadn't.Thesegrewandgrewonallthewalksandflowerbeds-theycouldn'tbestopped-untilthewholeplacewasaforestofburdocks.Hereandtherestoodanappleoraplumtree,butexceptforthat,peoplewouldn'thavethoughttherehadeverbeenagardenthere.Everywherewasburdock,andamongtheburdockslivedthelasttwoincrediblyoldsnails!Theythemselvesdidn'tknowhowoldtheywere,buttheycouldrememberveryclearlythatoncetherehadbeenagreatmanymoreofthem,thattheyhaddescendedfromaprominentforeignfamily,andtheyknewperfectlywellthatthewholeforesthadbeenplantedjustforthemandtheirfamily.Theyhadneverbeenawayfromhome,buttheydidknowthatsomewheretherewassomethingcalledamanorhouse,andthatthereyouwereboileduntilyouturnedblack,andwerelaidonasilverdish;butwhathappenedafterwardstheyhadn'ttheleastidea.Furthermore,theycouldn'timaginewhatitwouldbeliketobeboiledandlaidonasilverdish,buteveryonesaiditmustbeverywonderfulandagreatdistinction.Neitherthecockchafernorthetoadnortheearthworm,whomtheyaskedaboutit,couldgivethemanyinformation.Noneoftheirfamilieshadeverbeenboiledorlaidonsilverdishes.Sotheoldwhitesnailsknewtheywerebyfarthemostimportantpeopleintheworld.Theforestwastherejustfortheirsake,andthemanorhouseexistedjustsothattheycouldbeboiledandlaidonsilverdishes!Thetwooldsnailsledaquietandhappylife,andsincetheywerechildlesstheyhadadoptedalittleorphansnail,whichtheywerebringingupastheirownchild.Hewouldn'tgrowverylarge,forhewasonlyacommonsnail;butthetwooldsnails-andespeciallythemothersnail-thoughtitwaseasytoseehowwellhewasgrowing.Andshebeggedthefathersnailtotouchthelittlesnail'sshell,ifhecouldn'tseeit,andsohefeltitandfoundthatshewasright.Onedayitrainedveryhard.Justlistentoitdrumontheburdockleaves!criedFatherSnail.Rum-dum-dum!Rum-dum-dum!Dropsarealsocomingdownhere!saidthemother.It'scomingstraightdownthestalks,andit'llbewetdownherebeforeyouknowit.I'mcertainlygladwehaveourowngoodhousesandthelittleonehashisown.We'rebetteroffthananyothercreatures;it'squiteplainthatwe'rethemostimportantpeopleintheworld.Wehaveourownhousesfromourverybirth,andtheburdockforesthasbeenplantedjustforus.Iwonderhowfaritextends,andwhatliesbeyondit.Therecan'tbeanythingbeyond,saidFatherSnail,that'sanybetterthanwehavehere.Ihavenothingintheworldtowishfor.Well,Ihave,saidthemother.I'dliketobetakentothemanorhouseandboiledandlaidonasilverdish.Allourancestorshadthatdonetothem,and,believeme,itmustbesomethingquiteuncommon!Maybethemanorhousehasfallentopieces,suggestedFatherSnail.Orperhapstheburdockforesthasgrownoverit,sothatthepeoplecan'tgetoutatall.Don'tbeinsuchahurry-butthenyou'realwayshurryingso.Andthelittleoneisbeginningtodothesamething.Why,he'sbeencreepingupthatstalkforthreedays.Itreallymakesmyheaddizzytowatchhimgo!Don'tscoldhim,saidMotherSnail.Hecrawlsverycarefully.He'llbringusmuchjoy,andweoldfolkdon'thaveanythingelsetolivefor.Buthaveyoueverthoughtwherewecanfindawifeforhim?Don'tyouthinktheremightbesomemoreofourkindofpeoplefartherbackintheburdockwoods?Isupposetheremaybeblacksnailsbackthere,saidtheoldman.Blacksnailswithouthouses!Muchtoovulgar!Andthey'reconceited,anyway.Butlet'sasktheantstofindoutforus;they'realwaysrunningaroundasiftheyhadimportantbusiness.They'resuretoknowofawifeforourlittlesnail.Certainly,Iknowaverybeautifulbride,saidoneoftheants.ButIdon'tthinkshe'ddo,becauseshe'saqueen!Thatdoesn'tmatter,saidMotherSnailemphatically.Doesshehaveahouse?Shehasacastle!repliedtheant.Themostbeautifulant'scastle,withsevenhundredcorridors!Thankyouverymuch,saidMotherSnail,butourboyshallnotgointoananthill!Ifyoudon'tknowofanythingbetter,we'llaskthewhitegnatstofindoutforus.Theyflitaroundintherainandsunshine,andtheyknowthisforestinsideandout.Wehavejustthewifeforhim,saidthegnats.Ahundredman-stepsfromherealittlesnailwithahouseissittingonagooseberrybush.Sheisallaloneintheworld,andquiteoldenoughtomarry.It'sonlyahundredman-stepsfromhere!Fine,butshemustcometohim,saidtheoldcouple.Ourchildhasawholeburdockforest,andshehasonlyabush.Andsothegnatshadthelittlemaidensnailcomeover.Ittookhereightdaystogetthere,butthatwasthewonderfulpartofit-foritshowedshehadtherightsortofdignity.Andthentheyhadafinewedding!Sixglow-wormslighteduptheplaceaswellastheycould,butasidefromthatitwasaveryquietceremony,fortheoldpeopledidnotcareforfeastingormerriment.AcharmingspeechwasmadebyMotherSnail,butFatherSnailcouldn'tsayaword;hewasto